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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. root — of a plant
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cue — for pool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. row — a line
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. root — the cause
  14. ground — a position
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — help
  17. ground — the earth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cue — a signal
  20. root — of a word
  21. file — a tool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com